This master list gives you each of the major banks with their corresponding transfer partners.  I have also included the transfer ratio, as well as how long the transfer takes to go through.  Hopefully this list makes planning your next vacation a little easier.

Remember, once you transfer your points to one of the travel partners, this can’t be undone.  Be sure there is award availability before you transfer your points.  A lot of the points will transfer instantly; however, some can take hours or days.  Make sure you take this into consideration you transfer your points.

To make them easier to find, I’ve listed the transfer partners for each credit card currency in alphabetical order.

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Airline Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Iberia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Singapore Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Southwest – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

United – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Hyatt – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

IHG – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 1 day

Marriott – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 2 days

American Express Membership Rewards

The Membership Rewards program from American Express also has fantastic transfer partners.  In fact, American Express is the only credit card company that allows you to transfer points to Delta.  They also have 18 other airline and hotel transfer partners so there are a lot of great options to choose from.

If you’re a frequent traveler, card_name is a great way to earn Membership Rewards points quickly.  bonus_miles_full  Terms apply. You can read more about this card here.

Airline Transfer Partners

Aer Lingus – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Aeromexico – Transfer Ratio 1:1.6 – Points transfer in 24 hours

Air Canada – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Alitalia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

All Nippon – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

Delta – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

El Al – Transfer Ratio 50:1 – Points transfer instantly

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hawaiian Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Iberia – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1.25:1 – Points transfer instantly

Singapore Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Choice Hotels – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hilton – Transfer Ratio 1:2 – Points transfer instantly

Marriott – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Capital One Transfer Partners

Recently Capital One added the ability to transfer their points to one of their 15 airline partners.  I love the move because it gives card holders more ways to use their credit card points.  Unfortunately, the only US airline transfer partner is Jet Blue, so there’s still room for improvement.  Also, the transfer ratios are a little confusing and a lot of the transfers don’t happen instantly.

Capital One does have some good airline partners, so it’s definitely worth taking a look.  If you’re looking to increase your points balance, you should consider adding the card_name to your wallet.  Right now, new card holders can earn up to 75,000 bonus points!

Airline Transfer Partners

Aeromexico – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Air Canada – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Avianca – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

British Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 5 days

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Etihad – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Eva – Transfer Ratio 2:1.5 – Points transfer in 48 hours

Finnair – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Qantas – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Singapore – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer in 48 hours

TAP Air Portugal – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Turkish Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Hotel Transfer Partners

Accor Limitless – Transfer Ratio 2:1 – 1 business day

Choice Privileges – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – TBD points transfer time

Wyndham Rewards – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Citi Transfer Partners

Citibank lets you earn ThankYou points when you use some of their cards like the Citi Prestige and card_name.  These credit card points can then be transferred to one of Citi’s 15 airline partners.  Unfortunately, the only domestic airline on the list you can’t transfer your points to directly is JetBlue. 

The last thing to consider with ThankYou points is that most of the transfers aren’t instantaneous, so keep that in mind when you’re transferring your points.

Airline Transfer Partners

Avianca – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Cathay Pacific – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 24 hours

Emirates – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Ethidad – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 7 days

Eva – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 3 days

Flying Blue (Air France/KLM) – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Garuda – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Jet Airways – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

JetBlue – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Malaysian – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Qantas – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Qatar – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Singapore – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Thai Royal – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 7 days

Turkish Airlines – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer within 2 days

Virgin Atlantic – Transfer Ratio 1:1 – Points transfer instantly

Final Thoughts

The best way to get the most out of your credit card points is by using one of their transfer partners to redeem your points.  I know it can be a little intimidating when you first start out but just remember, you don’t have to be an expert in every program to find a great value.  Simply start with the airline you fly most often then do a little research.  If you ever have questions, or need help, leave me a comment below or send me an email.  I’m always happy to help!

The post The Ultimate Credit Card Transfer Partners Guide appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Hawaii Sweet Spot

The way to book these tickets, is by using your British Airways Avios miles to book a flight on their One World partner, American Airlines.  British Airways uses a mileage-based award chart to redeem points for flights on British Airways or with their partner airlines.  Based on their award chart, you can book flights that are less than 3,000 miles for only 13,000 Avios each way.

Fortunately for everyone on the West Coast, Hawaii is located just under 3,000 miles from the mainland.  British Airways calculates the cost of the award based on each flight segment, so this deal only works on nonstop flights.  British Airways partners with both American Airlines and Alaska Airlines, so there are plenty of nonstop options from multiple West Coast cities.

American Airlines – You can fly nonstop from either Los Angeles or Phoenix to Honolulu, Maui, Kauai or Kona.

Alaska Airlines – Flying on Alaska Airlines gives you options to fly out of many more cities than American does.  You can fly to the Hawaiian Islands from any of these cities; Anchorage, Bellingham, Los Angeles, Oakland, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle.

How To Find Award Availability

When you start your search to see if award space is available, be aware that availability on Alaska doesn’t show up on the British Airways website.  I always start my search on American’s site because they are partners with Alaska too and have access to their award space.  Just be sure you log in to your frequent flyer account first.  When you do your search, you’ll want to look for dates that have Mile Saver availability.

If you’re planning to fly on Alaska Airlines, you’ll need to call British Airways and book the flight over the phone.  Just have the flights you found available to give to the phone agent to make the call go quicker.  Before transferring points to your Avios account, I would call them and confirm the availability of the Alaska flight with them first.  If you’re flying on American, you can go to BA’s website and confirm the flight is available there.

After you select the nonstop flights you want, you’ll see the total is 26,000 miles plus the $11.20 for the airport taxes.

Booking Flights

Once you have confirmed the flights you want are available, you’ll need to transfer enough points to your Avios account.  Simply log in to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account and find British Airways by selecting “transfer to travel partners”.  Every time I’ve transferred points from my UR account to BA, it has taken less than 5 minutes for the points to show up in my Avios account.

If you’re flying on Alaska, I would politely ask the agent to wait a moment while you transfer the points.  Just be sure you’re already logged into your Chase account and ready to go before you make the call.  Once your points are in your account, book your flights to the Aloha State.

How To Book For Less

This sweet spot works any day of the year, as long as there is availability on the flights you’re looking.  However, sometimes it is possible to book flights to Hawaii with less than 26,000 points.

Transfer Bonuses – Occasionally, credit card companies will offer bonus points if you transfer your points to British Airways.  Recently, Chase UR offered a 30% bonus on points transferred to BA.  In this case, you could book your flights to Hawaii for only 20,000 points!  Keep an eye out for these transfer bonuses if you’re planning a trip to Hawaii.

Travel Portals – Periodically, I’ve also seen some really great sales to Hawaii from the West Coast.  If you have the card_name, card_name or card_name you can redeem your points for travel at a fixed rate.  Based on their redemption rates, if you see a fare for less than $390 and you have the Sapphire Reserve card, it will cost you fewer points by booking through Chase.  The same is true if you find a fare for less than $325 and use one of the other cards.

Do You Need More Points

Are you a few points short for your trip to Hawaii or are you just starting out earning miles?  My favorite way to accumulate points for this redemption is by using my Chase cards that earn Ultimate Rewards.  By using the card_name, card_name and Chase Freedom Flex cards together, you can easily build up your balance over time.  However, if you need points in a hurry, the quickest way to get them is through a welcome bonus.

You can transfer both Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express’ Membership Rewards points to British Airways.  Keep in mind the 5/24 Rule if you’re applying for a new Chase card.  Right now, the cards with the best welcome bonuses are:

• card_name – bonus_miles_full  This is a great bonus for this card. Here’s why I think this is the best rewards card for people to start earning points.
• card_name – bonus_miles_full  Terms apply. You can read my review of the card here.
• card_name – bonus_miles_full.  Here’s why I think this is the best travel rewards card out there.

Final Thoughts

Remember that Hawaii is a popular destination and will require some flexibility when looking for award space.  If there’s no availability, try other dates or check back periodically because awards seats can open up later. We planned our trip when the kids were out of school for Spring Break.  At first there was no availability at all during the week we wanted to go.  I checked back every week and few months before we wanted to go, seats became available on multiple flights.

The post How To Fly To Hawaii For 26,000 Points Or Less appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

This past spring we took our family of seven to Kauai for the first time.  We’ve been to other Hawaiian islands before but this one is my favorite.  It’s significantly less crowded than Oahu and Maui and the island’s natural beauty is unparalleled.  Now matter what your interests are, there are numerous things for you to see and do while you’re there.

Our family was able to fly there using one of the best award travel sweet spots out there.  Even if you don’t live on the West Coast, there are other inexpensive ways to get there.  I frequently see great airfare sales to Hawaii from all across the U.S.  Plus, now that Southwest flies there, you can even use the Companion Pass to fly there.  However you get there, just make sure to pay for your flights using a card that gives you a bonus on travel purchases.  If you don’t have one, my favorite travel card is the card_name.

Best Adventure Activities To Do

Na Pali Coast Boat Tour – Visiting the Na Pali coast is an absolute must-do when you visit Kauai.  It is absolutely breathtaking and there’s nothing else like it in the world.  There are no roads that go to this coast line, so the only way to see the whole thing is by air or by sea.

There are a few tour companies that offer tours of the Na Pali coast and we booked ours with Captain Andy’s.  The cruise was fantastic and provided great views of the coast!  The trip also included about 45 minutes of snorkeling and a BBQ lunch which were great.  This cruise was the highlight of everyone’s trip.  If you book a boat tour, and I highly recommend that you do, here are two important tips.

First, the water can get choppy, so be sure to take your motion sickness medicine before you go.  Second, book your tour near the beginning of your trip.  The day we planned to go, out trip was cancelled because of a rainstorm.  Luckily, it was on the second day of our trip so we were able to reschedule for later in the week.

Kauai Tubing – You can book a tubing trip down the canals of an old sugar plantation with Kauai Backcountry Adventures.  You’ll float down about 2 miles of the canal system and go through 5 tunnels along the way.  The water is calm the entire way so this trip is great for travelers of all ages.  While it’s not as adventurous as I had originally thought, each one of my kids had a fantastic time.

Helicopter Tours – There are several companies that offer helicopter tours of Kauai.  While these tours can be a little pricey, there’s nothing like seeing Kauai from the air.  The tours typically last about 45 minutes and they’ll take you all around the island.  You’ll be able to see several waterfalls, Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali coast.  If you’re going to pay for a helicopter tour, I would definitely pay the extra fee to sit in the front so you have the best views.

Bike Along The Coast – One of my new favorite things to do on vacation, is to enjoy a bike ride around town.  We rented bikes in Kapa’a and rode the bike paths up and down the coast.  While not quite as “adventurous” as my other recommendations, it’s a fantastic way to enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the beach.

Best Beaches In Kauai

Hideaways Beach – My favorite beach on the island is Hideaways Beach on the north shore of Kauai.  The trail head down to the beach is located just outside of the Princeville Resort.  There’s a small public parking lot that only has space for about 6 cars, so be sure to get there early.

From the parking lot you’ll have to hike down to the beach using various ropes along the way.  While it is a little steep, our 5 year old did it without a problem, so it’s definitely doable.  Just go slow and take your time, it’s absolutely worth it!

Poipu Beach – This beach is located on the south side of the island.  This is a great beach for snorkeling and seeing wildlife.  Each time we visited, we either saw seals or sea turtles resting on the beach.  This beach is pretty popular, so it can get a little crowded at times.

Hanalei Bay – If you want to try your hand at surfing or kayaking, spend an afternoon at Hanalei Bay on the north shore, we recommend you to check out at campingfunzone.com these tips before going in a kayaking adventure.  My favorite thing about this visiting this beach was the views surrounding it.  Directly behind the beach are the lush green mountains that have several waterfalls flowing from the top.  Where else in the world can you enjoy that kind of a view while relaxing on a beach!

Kalihiwai Beach – This beach is located on the north side of the island near the Princeville airport.  It’s a small, quiet beach where a small river empties into the ocean.  You can take kayaks or paddle boards up the river to some waterfalls nearby.

Scenic Things To Do

Waimea Canyon – Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, visiting Waimea Canyon is something you have to see when you visit Kauai.  The canyon is located on the southwest side of the island.  It can take several hours to make the round trip, so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get up there and enjoy it.

When you get to the canyon, there are a couple of look out areas that can give you a great view of the canyon and waterfall.  It can get windy and chilly up here, so be sure to bring a jacket or sweatshirt.

Kalalau & Pu’u O Kila Lookouts – After you’ve had a chance to visit Waimea Canyon, continue up the highway for about another 20 minutes until you reach these lookouts.  From the lookouts you can see the gorgeous Kalalau Valley which is also the start of the Na Pali coast.  If you aren’t able to do a boat cruise or helicopter tour, this view can give you a small sample of what the coast looks like.

Queen’s Bath – Located up north in Princeville, Queen’s Bath is a natural rock formation that forms a large pool next to the ocean.  To get there, you have to hike down a trail from the parking lot.  We went right after it had rained and so it made it a little tougher to get to.  When the tide is low, you can get swim inside Queen’s Bath.  However, when the tide is high it can be very dangerous to enter.  Use common sense and be careful.

Kauai Waterfalls – Kauai is littered with gorgeous waterfalls.  Some of them are easy to get to by car and others require a lot more effort to get to.  I would recommend driving up to see Opaekaa Falls and Wailua Falls when you’re on the southeast side of the island.  Each has a designated area to park your car so you can get out and enjoy the view of the falls.  Another gorgeous waterfall on the east side of the island is Ho’opi’i Falls but this one requires a short hike to get to.

Best Hikes To Do

Kalalau Trail – This trail just recently opened after being closed for months due to damage caused by a storm.  The total trail is about 11 miles along the Na Pali coast and can be difficult in some places.   You won’t be able to do it in one day so you’ll need to plan to do some camping along the way.  If you want to see the beginning of the Na Pali coast, you can hike in a couple of miles and come back.  Either way, you will need a permit if you want to hike the trail.

The Sleeping Giant – This trail is located up in the Nounou Mountains.  The hike gives you beautiful views of the island and is a popular place to watch the sun rise.  Some portions of the trail are narrow and have steep drop offs, so be very careful you go on this hike.  If you decided to go, here’s some additional info that will help you on your hike.

Bonus Things To Do In Kauai

Visit Hanalei – The town of Hanalei is on the north side of the island, just past Princeville.  It’s a picturesque town that’s a great place to walk around, relax and enjoy the island life.  If you have a sweet tooth like me, there are two places you need to visit while you’re there.

The first is Pink’s Creamery.  They have some of the best ice cream you will ever eat.  The other place is JoJo’s Shave Ice.  Treat your taste buds to a snow cone with a scoop of Macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom and their homemade vanilla cream on top.

Go To A Luau – There’s nothing more Hawaiian that enjoying a luau!  There are several places on the island that host a luau most nights.  The menus will vary slightly but they all serve delicious traditional Hawaiian food.  We have been to several luaus before, so we skipped going to one on this trip.  However, I did have some friends who went to the Smith Family Luau that’s located near the airport and they had nothing but great things to say about it.

Final Thoughts

There’s no shortage of incredible things to do while you’re in Kauai.  No matter what you decide to do, I have no doubt you’ll enjoy the tip of a lifetime.  If there’s something you loved doing on your trip to Kauai that I missed, leave me a comment below and let me know what it was.  I’ll be sure to check it out the next time I’m there.

The post Best Things To Do In Kauai appeared first on Easy Travel Points.

Next summer our family is planning an adults trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico over a long weekend.  Cabo is definitely a popular destination during the summer time so flights can be very expensive.  When I searched for flights from Phoenix for the weekend we’re going, they were over $600 round trip.  Luckily, using British Airways Avios points I was able to book the flights for only 18,000 points per person plus taxes.

Avios Sweet Spot To Mexico

If you don’t have a Southwest Companion Pass, the next best option for flying to Mexico is to use your Avios points.  Just like the sweet spot to Hawaii, these great redemptions exist because British Airways uses a distance-based award chart.  And because they are part of the OneWorld Alliance you can redeem your Avios points for flights on American Airlines.

British Airways prices their award flights on a per segment basis, so this redemption only works on nonstop flights to Mexico.  If you live near an American Airlines hub in the southern part of the country, this redemption option is perfect for you.

To redeem your points using the lowest number of miles required, the flights need to be less than 1,151 miles.  However, nonstop flights that are longer than this might still be a better redemption with Avios than using your American miles.  Here are a few examples of routes that fall right into this sweet spot:

• Los Angeles (LAX) to Cabo San Lucas (SJD) are only 9,000 BA points each way.
• Phoenix (PHX) to Cabo, Guadalajara (GDL), Puerto Vallarta (PVR) and Mazatlan (MZT) are all 9,000 BA points each way.
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) to Cancun (CUN) Cabo and Mexico City (MEX) are all just 9,000 BA points each way.
• Charlotte (CLT) to Cancun are just 9,000 BA points each way.
• Miami (MIA) to Cancun are only 7,500 points each way.

Here are screen shots of the flights I was looking at when planning our trip to Cabo next summer.  You can see the nonstop flight we wanted to take from Phoenix to Cabo San Lucas was over $600 if we wanted the main cabin option where we can make sure we sit next to each other on the flight.

I found the exact same flights on American while searching for award space using British Airways.  Instead of paying over $600 for those flights, I spent just 18,000 Avios points per person plus taxes.

Finding Award Availability

In order to search for award availability to use your Avios points to fly to Mexico, you’ll need a British Airways account.  If you don’t have one, it’s free to sign up and only takes a few minutes set it up.  Once you’re logged in, you can start searching for your flights.  British Airways will show both nonstop and connecting flights when you’re searching for award availability.  Remember, because they charge per segment, you will only want to look at the nonstop flights.

If you don’t see availability, you can always double check for flights on American’s website.  You’ll want to look for nonstop flights that are available under the saver award category.  If you happen to find some there, give British Airways a call with the flights you found and they should be able to help you book the award flight.  They do charge to book award flights over the phone but if you kindly tell them the flight wasn’t available on the website, they will typically waive the fee.

How To Earn Avios Points

I’m sure reading about these great award redemptions already has you planning your next beach vacation.  However, what if you don’t have enough Avios points to book your trip today?  Don’t worry, Avios points are one of the easiest point currencies to earn.  They are a transfer partner with both Chase and American Express, so there are several options to earn the points you need.  Keep in mind that each of the Chase cards mentioned below is subject to the infamous 5/24 rule.

The easiest way to get Avios points into your account is by transferring them from a credit card that partners with British Airways.  Both Chase and American Express allow you to transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio.  My favorite Chase card card_name card.  bonus_miles_full  If you’re a frequent traveler, I also like the card_name.

Another option to consider is the card_name.  You will earn membership rewards points with each purchase that can also be transferred to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio.  bonus_miles_full  Terms apply.

The last option is the card_name that allows you to earn Avios points with every purchase.  If you live near an American Airlines hub and travel with them frequently, this could also be a good option.  bonus_miles_full

Bottom Line

Flying to Mexico using British Airways Avios points is great sweet spot for award travel.  Using these points can easily save you hundreds of dollars of flights.  If you plan ahead, you can even use your points to fly during busy times like Spring Break or over a holiday weekend.  If you have any questions about how to redeem your Avios points for flights on American, leave me a comment below or contact me any time.

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